LWV urges residents to register to vote

LITCHFIELD — The League of Women Voters of Litchfield County, a grassroots, nonpartisan political organization of women and men. reminds all potential voters about to turn 18 that they should register to vote.

Any U.S. citizen who is a Connecticut resident and will be 18 years old by Election Day, Nov. 6, may register to vote. Any 17-year-old who will be 18 years old by Election Day and who otherwise meets the qualifications of an elector may register and vote in a primary.

To vote in a primary one must be registered as a Republican or a Democrat.

Local primaries for both parties are scheduled for Aug. 14.

Resident may get a voter registration form at any town or city hall, any public library, the Department of Motor Vehicles, other state agency offices, or via the “for voters” page at LWV’s state website, www.lwvct.org. Or, call your registrars or municipal clerk to have a voter registration form sent to your home. Mail or hand in your form to the registrar of voters of the town or city where you live.

Friendly Hands Food Bank seeks school donations

TORRINGTON — Friendly Hands Food Bank is collecting donations of backpacks, three ring binders, lined filler paper, pocket folders, three and five subject spiral notebooks, pens, pencils, mechanical pencils, markers, highlighters, colored pencils, crayons, sharpeners, rulers, erasers, protractors, compasses and calculators. The food bank will collect these donations from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday, through Aug. 30, at its location at 50 King Street, Torrington. For information, call 860 4823338 or just stop by.

Staff members will start giving backpacks away to Friendly Hands Food Bank clients from Aug. 17 through Aug. 30 by appointment only.

Free mental health first aid training set July 31-Aug. 2

TORRINGTON — A free, two-day mental health first aid training course will be held July 31-Aug. 2, 5 to 9 p.m. at Torrington Area Health District, 350 Main St., Torrington.

Like CPR, mental health first aid certificate training prepares community members with tools to interact with a person in crisis and connect the person with help. First Aiders do not take on the role of professionals and do not diagnose or provide therapy; instead, the 8-hour program offers concrete tools and answers questions about what to do and where someone may find help. To register, visit www.mhconn.org/education/ mental-health-first-aid

According to Robert Rubbo, director of health, Torrington Area Health District’s goal is to promote and protect the physical and environmental wellbeing of the citizens of the TAHD through direct services, wellness and promotion programs and community efforts.

Mental health disorders are common: In any given year, one in five Americans has a mental illness, and at some point in our lifetime, half of us will struggle with a mental health disorder.

Available in the US for 10 years and managed by the National Council for Behavioral Health, Mental Health First Aid has trained more than one million people nationwide. . For more information, contact Valerie English Cooper at venglishcooper@mhconn.org, 860-4716715, or visit www.mhconn.org/ education/ mental-health-first-aid.

Northwest Idol semifinal contest planned Saturday

TORRINGTON — The Torrington Parks and Recreation Department, in cooperation with the Warner Theatre, will hold its 13th annual Northwest Idol Contest, open to singers 15 and older. The first semifinal round was held on June 23, followed by a second semifinal round on Saturday.

Semifinals begin at 7 p.m. at Coe Memorial Park Civic Center and the public is invited to attend. Contestants will be expected to perform to the accompaniment of D.J. Vin Avallone. The talent pool will be narrowed down during the semifinal rounds.

The final show will be held at the Warner Theatre at 7 p.m. Aug. 26. Tickets will be available for purchase at the Warner Theatre Box Office in the near future. At the finals, contestants will perform with a live band and must be available to practice with the band before the event. The band to accompany the contestants again this year is the “Opening Night Band.” Cash prizes and gift certificates will be awarded to the Top Three Contestants.

For information, call Superintendent of Parks and Recreation Brett Simmons at 860-489-2274.

Red Cross issues urgent call for blood donors

An emergency blood shortage is prompting the American Red Cross to issue an urgent call for eligible donors of all blood types — especially type O — to give now and help save lives.

The Red Cross escalated its call for blood and platelet donors after a difficult Independence Day week for donations. More than 550 fewer blood drives were organized by businesses and other community groups last week than during a typical week as individuals across the country celebrated the holiday and enjoyed summer activities. This could equate to as many as 15,000 fewer donations than needed, causing donations to be distributed to hospitals faster than they come in.

This need is especially critical for type O blood donors. Type O is the most in-demand blood type and often the first to be depleted from hospital shelves during a shortage. Type O negative is the universal blood type and what emergency room personnel reach for when there is no time to determine the blood type of patients in the most serious situations. Type O positive is the most common blood type and can be transfused to Rh-positive patients of any blood type.

To schedule an appointment to donate, use the free Red Cross blood donor app, visit RedCrossBlood.org or call 1-800RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).